Just Another Star
by Strike To Incinerate
Summary: [Edited]Auron has escaped the Underworld with Sora's help, but now he's got bigger problems, and their names are Lulu, Beatrix, Quistis, and Organization XIII.[AuronLulu][Other Pairings soon to come.][Chapter Three up!]
1. Chapter 1

**Just Another Star  
by: Strike To Incinerate**

**Chapter One**

_Summary: After dragging himself from the depths of the Underworld (with the help of Sora and co.) Auron finds himself in a strange world called Traverse Town. He soon finds himself in the care of three strange women..._

_"Let your light shine through me,  
Take this hate I can't release.  
Help me make the blind see,  
Misery loves its company._

_When I dream, I see dawn turn into dusk, into dusk."_

_the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: 'Misery Loves It's Company'_

_Pairings: AuronLulu. Some others. Haven't really thought about it yet._

_Dedication: Um... none, yet... but the next chapter will be dedicated to the first two people who have this on alerts. I still want reviews, though!_

--

"Goodbye, Auron!" the brunette teenager had called at him, waving feverently. He had his keyblade set on his shoulder and a broad smile. Sora was a goofy kid, but he had a good heart, and if anyone could right the worlds, it was him.

Maybe Auron had known a kid like that once. He didn't remember.

Auron smiled behind the gray collar, one arm tucked into his sleeve and the other, at his side, his hand grazing the handle of the sword he carried. "Bye, kid," he said as the Gummi Ship took off.

This place was called Traverse Town. Sora had been smart enough to tell him the name and give him a rough lay of the land before dropping him off. It was a crossworld, a place where those who had lost their world to the Heartless could go. Sora had made many friends here, but almost none were left. He had explained the three districts to him, where the housing and stores were, and where the Heartless usually attacked (anywhere).

Auron strolled down a paved walkway, his boots tapping against the cobblestone. There were carts of food and a few tables and chairs, but overall, Traverse Town reeked of seedy. It was dimly light, and seemed to be eternally embroiled in sundown. The tops of the houses and buildings were black, slowly fading to brown, orange and tan hues, and small laterns hung from every available post.

Perhaps he would think of it as cozy when he was more comfortable here. He doubted his stay would be short. He could hardly remember the world he had come from.

He did remember a girl with light brown hair, and two different colored eyes. He remembered two men, one was scraggly and one was professional, but kind and understanding. He didn't remember much else. He shook his head. Once in a while, he could conjure up fuzzy images of a few more people; just outlines. One was very dark, two were light and one was orange and yellow. Lastly, one was very blue. It was like a pair of binoculars that were out of focus. No names, no faces, no voices.

He turned, heading down an alley way. This place was unfamiliar, yet he was still keen to explore. Later, he could impose upon one of the shopkeepers.

His head tilted up, and he pulled the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. The buildings were much taller than they seemed. Why would there be so many when this place seemed so empty? He hadn't seen a single person milling around.

He heard the whispers of Shadows against the ground as they slid towards him. The Heartless. He pulled out his sword, and held it at the ready, swinging experimentally.

It nearly slid out of his grasp.

'What...?' he thought.

His eyes began to refocus... only they didn't complete the task. Everything was fuzzy, and the more he tried to concentrate, the more out of focus everything got.

"Fire!"

He could see a dark outline, tall and womanly an familiar... in his mind, he lined that one against the one from his memory. He couldn't tell. He pulled off his glasses, and tried to get a better look.

Black.

--

"Has he awoken, Beatrix?" she asked.

The eyepatched brunette shook her head. "No."

Auron's eyes blinked open... well, one did. A lengthy scar prevented the other one. "I'm awake..." he mumbled, groping horizontally for his sunglasses.

"That's good," another female voice said. "Now I can treat you."

Auron leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed the first thing within reach, thinking it was his sword. He brandished it at the woman, and his eyes finally refocused.

She was slim, with a red dress and high brown boots. Long brown gloves covered her arms past the elbows. She had strawberry blond hair, pinned back with long bangs parted neatly to her cheeks. She also had glasses and honey brown eyes.

She chuckled, and the other two smiled at him.

Auron looked to his sword.

It was a doll. Something fluffy, slightly pink, with a huge, round red nose and little red wings.

"Here, let me take that," the one sitting beside the bed murmured, gently relieving him of the toy.

His mouth went dry.

The woman had long, ebony hair... just a shade darker than his own salt-and-pepper strands used to be. It was braided, then pulled up and made into a bun, held in place by bejeweled sticks, except for her bangs. Her eyes were a ruby color... or maybe garnet, lined with black and the upper lid rimmed with violet. Her lips were full and soft, and painted amethyst.

Her from her neck hung heavy strands of strang stones he'd never seen before, and they fell against her generous cleavage, which was barely concealed by the dress she wore. The collar, he supposed one could call it that, was rimmed with fur, and her shoulders were bare. They sleeves were long and flared at the bottom, lined with lace. The front of the skirt opened and revealed many belts woven together, but one could just get a peek of the fishnet stockings she wore.

"Good morning," she bid him. "I see you've met my moogle."

"That thing..." he licked his lips. "That thing's called a moogle?" he asked.

The eyepatched brunette laughed heartilly. "He catches on quick, Lulu," she said. Her hair was chestnut, long and full of body. The uncovered eye was a stormy gray, and she wore very light, fashionable silver armor over her bodice.

"My name is Quistis Trepe." His attention was brought back to the strawberry-blond. "The pretty one is Lulu and the mouthy one is Beatrix," she told him.

He grinned at her. This woman, he could like.

"Mouthy? Why, Quistis, I'm insulted," the brunette, Beatrix, replied.

"Hush, Trix..." Lulu said, slapping her arm playfully. "How are you feeling?" she asked, turning to look at him again.

He swallowed. His mouth was dry again. "I'm wondering why I'm in a room full of women, but other than that, I believe I'm fine..." he replied. Who was he to cause such a beautiful creature to worry?

"I think he's lying, Lu," Quistis said, folding her arms over her chest with a sigh.

Hn, perhaps he wouldn't like that one at all.

"Lulu found you in the alley outside the pub..." Beatrix told him. "She had us bring you here."

He glanced around the room for the first time. It was large, but empty. A large grandfather clocked stood against one wall, near a bookshelf. There was a single wardrobe and a desk, one door, and one window. And the bed he was sitting on.

"Where, exactly, is here?" he asked Lulu.

"This was the home of our friend Leon..." she said, fiddling with the moogle's red nose. "He and a few others left to go repair a different world. It's been empty for a while."

"You can stay here until you're fully healed," Quistis said.

He swung his feet around to the other side of the bed. "I'm fine," he intoned. He didn't want to be fauned over. If he had wanted that, he would've stayed on the Gummi Ship with Sora...

and eventually killed those rodents, Chip and Dale.

As he went to stand up, one of them said, "Catch him, Beatrix!"

He soon found himself in the arms of the brunette. While she wasn't much from faraway, she was just as lovely as her companions upclose. He hadn't even realized he was falling.

"I think you should stay in bed," she informed him, and with no trouble, lifted him up and set him on the bed again.

"I don't need--" he began.

Lulu gently pressed her hand to his chest, holding him down. "Sleep," she said, giving him a soft smile.

He caught her gaze, and the next thing he knew, he was sleeping.

--

**Yup, that was chapter one.**

**I couldn't resist slipping Quistis and Beatrix in there with Lulu. Quistis and Beatrix rock.**

**This is Auron/Lulu, though.**

**Zell and Irvine are probably going to be in here. Any other FF character requests? Leave suggestions in a review, and I see that they'll at least make a cameo.**

**Revieeeew pleeeease! I would be so happy and want to continue this so much if you do!**


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Okay, in response to my reviews (because I'm too lazy to write a new chapter AND do individual Review Replies)... Jenaisis-Sama: Um, Auron's sudden lack of skill will be explained in this chapter. It's totally relevent; I wouldn't make such a badass guy do such a loser-y thing without a reason. (Reason was not just to have Lulu save his ass, either.)_

**Just Another Star  
by: Strike To Incinerate**

**Chapter Two**

_Summary: After dragging himself from the depths of the Underworld (with the help of Sora and co.) Auron finds himself in a strange world called Traverse Town. He soon finds himself in the care of three strange women... (YAY! Longest chapter I've ever written for anything!)_

_"Fully alive,  
More than most,  
Ready to smile and love life.  
Fully alive and she knows  
How to believe in futures."_

_Flyleaf: Fully Alive (Remixed version? I know there's two!)_

_Pairings: AuronLulu. Special surprise pairings with Quistis and Beatrix (no, they aren't together)._

_Warning: Yeah, Auron is a wee-bit younger in this fanfiction than he usually is. Becaaause, I said so. I don't care if the characters are a little OOC, because no one can accurately predict what someone elses character would be like in EVERY situation. Please, no complaints unless you think it is a serious problem. Constructive criticism is loved, flames are used to toast mah marshmellows into charcoal brickettes filled with gooey yumminess._

_Disclaimer: Blahblahblah, I don't own..._

--

"Was it really necessary to use a spell on him, Lu?" the Blue Mage asked.

The Black Mage nodded. "Yes... I thought he might resist. He didn't seem thrilled to have us take care of him."

Quistis laughed. "Maybe he really doesn't need help?" she suggested.

"Men are so stubborn," Beatrix said. "I think he needs help."

Lulu nodded her agreement. "I found him in the alley, surronded by Heartless, and he could barely lift his sword... he was never that way..." she said, shaking her head. "Never."

Quistis shrugged. "Well, you would know."

"I finished making dinner... so I'll be off now..." the brunette said, her armor clinking as she stood from her chair.

"Why?" the strawberry blond asked.

"Just to get some things... Why? Do you want to come?" she offered.

Quistis looked to Lulu. "Only if Lu will be okay, alone, with our little guest," she said, winking.

Lulu made a shooing motion with her hands. "Just go..." she said.

Beatrix headed out the door with a wave, but Quistis lagged for a moment.

"Just... one more thing..." she began. "Do you have any idea why he's so weak? He looks perfectly healthy to me... except for the scars, but those are very old. And, he can't be older than 35."

Lulu shook her head. "I don't. I'll ask him about it when he wakes up," she promised.

Quistis nodded and walked briskly out the door to catch up with Beatrix.

Auron could feel a fingertip lightly tracing the scar over his right eyelid. He stirred, but didn't wake.

--

"Do you mind telling me why we hurried out of there so quickly, Trix?" Quistis asked, as she walked alongside the swordswoman.

"No particular reason, my dear Quistis... just thought that Lulu could treat him better if she was alone," Beatrix replied smoothly.

"That's a crock," Quistis spat. "What do you know that I don't?"

Beatrix kept her hands clasped behind her back complacently. "Nothing, nothing at all... but I could tell you my opinoin..."

"That's what I meant," Quistis sighed.

"You asked for facts, which I do not have," Beatrix said smartly.

"Stop playing games, and just TELL me," the strawberry-blond wheedled.

Beatrix grinned. "I think our friendly, neighborhood black mage has a soft spot for our visitor from another world."

Quistis nodded quickly. "Well, that's obvious, but why?" she said.

"We could ask HER," the brunette suggested.

"Uh-huh... do you think she'll tell us?" the other asked, biting her lip. It would be awfully rude of them to pry into their friend's life...

But still, she was very curious.

It was often that Lulu showed such unbridled kindness to strangers, unless they were precocious children.

"Why wouldn't she?" Beatrix stated. "We are her friends."

"True but..." Quistis bit her lip again, then her eyes widened as she saw a flash of black disappear into the very same alley where they had found their 'guest'.

"Did you see that?" she asked, stopping and looking to Beatrix. Her hand was on her whip.

"See what?" Despite only having the use of one eye, Beatrix usually didn't miss a thing.

"That!" Quistis pointed to the alley. "Something went in there! I think it may have been a Heartless."

Beatrix's hand went to the pommel of her sword. "Then... shopping has been postponed," she decided, and began to walk towards the alley.

Quistis followed.

In the alley was not a Heartless, but a man in a long, black coat. He had the hood pulled up over his face, so they couldn't recognize him as a citizen or stranger. He was tall, broad shouldered and muscular, that much they could tell.

The figure turned to look at him. The only feature they could see was a pair of deep, sapphire eyes.

"Dilan!"

Quistis glanced to her comrade. "You know him?"

"Dilan!" she repeated.

He pulled down his hood, letting it fall against his shoulders. He had a mess of dreadlocks cascading down his back that had been pulled back into a ponytail, except for two that fell in his eyes, in a way that almost reminded her of Lulu. He could've been handsome, if not for the overgrown sideburns that had crept onto his cheeks.

His curious stare was fixed on Beatrix.

"Dilan!" she insisted. "It's you!"

"My name isn't Dilan, miss..." he said, his British accent thick.

"Yes, it is! You look different, but I know it's you!" Beatrix said confidantly. "What are you doing here, Dilan?" she asked him.

Xaldin didn't ask her how she knew his True Name, because he remembered her well. He hadn't thought that she would remember him, though. He hadn't expected to see her here, either.

"My name isn't Dilan," he said firmly.

"Dilan...? You don't...?" Beatrix began, stepping closer to him. "You haven't shaved in months. Where have you been?" she asked.

Quistis just stayed back, wondering if Beatrix had lost it. That couldn't be Dilan. Dilan was dead. All of Ansem the Wise's apprentices were dead.

"My name isn't Dilan," he hissed.

She tried to touch him, but he swatted her hand away.

"Beatrix, that isn't Dilan..." Quistis said gently. "He's just a stranger who sort of looks like him. Dilan had better hygiene, remember?" she joked weakly.

Beatrix shook her head. "It's Dilan, Quistis. I KNOW it's him."

Her conviction was so firm that Quistis almost believed it. Part of her wanted to... because if Dilan was alive, then it meant that Elaeus could be, too.

"It can't be! Stop acting crazy! He isn't a Heartless, let's just go!" Quistis pleaded, but Beatrix wouldn't move.

"No. Dilan, it's me. Don't you remember?" she asked.

"That eyepatch looks ridiculous on a girl as pretty as you," he commented, then looked to Quistis. "Elaeus says hi." The darkness swirled around him, and in an instant, he was gone. A dark purple... oval appeared on the wall.

And Beatrix charged into it.

"No! Trix!" Quistis yelled, but before she could follow, it closed.

"Bastard!" she swore,then hurried back to Leon's former home. There was no way that could've been Dilan... he and Elaeus... Xehanort, Ienzo, Even, Braig, even Ansem the Wise were DEAD. It was a horrible accident that left not even any bodies to bury, but they were gone and they weren't coming back. She thought that Beatrix had moved on, and that's why they were able to leave Hollow Bastion. How that strange man had even known about Dilan and Elaeus... maybe he was a sorcerer. Who knew. Who cared!

Beatrix was gone.

--

"Good morning," Lulu greeted him as his gray eyes finally blinked open.

"It isn't morning..." he grumbled, and attempted sitting up. Her hand gently pushed him back down, again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked her.

"Well... you fainted in the alley. I don't think you should be getting up. Remember what happened last time?" she replied calmly.

"Hn," was his answer.

"Do you..." she began, "remember anything before the Keyblade master brought you here?" she asked.

"You know Sora?" he questioned, giving her a funny look.

"Not personally, no. But, he knew Leon, and I knew Leon... Leon told me how to recognize him. How else would you travel between worlds?" she told him.

He nodded. He wasn't going to argue. "I came from a World called the Coliseum..." he said.

"Oh."

She had never heard of it.

"More specifically, the Underworld," he added.

"The Underworld?"

"Never heard of it?" he guessed.

She nodded. "No, never. It doesn't sound pleasant, though."

He smiled to her, and launched into his tale about the Underworld. He told her of the swirling green void that sucked in the souls of the dead, and of how he had meant Sora. He told her about the Lord of the Underworld, Hades, and his plan to use him to defeat a man named Hercules, because he had been a great warrior in his own world.

He thought he saw something flicker in her crimson eyes when he had said this, but he didn't think on it for too long, and quickly continued.

Sora had rescued him and brought him here... and that was all he remembered. Nothing from his home world.

"Do you think this Underworld could be the reason why you're so weak?" she asked him, when his tale was finished.

His gray eyes narrowed at her slightly, and he slipped his sunglasses on. "I told you; I'm fine."

"I didn't mean to offend you. I just think that because your soul was gone for so long, that your body might need some time to readjust to being... well, alive," she told him. He could see her point, but he didn't like the idea of being a burden to her and Beatrix and Quistis. They seemed nice enough, but he didn't need three women to take care of him.

But, perhaps just this one, he could live with.

"Alright. So, Lulu, what do you suggest?" he asked.

"Rest. Lots of rest. Aside from that, you'll have to ask Quistis--"

As if someone had cued her, Quistis came bursting through the door, panting and pale. Lulu stood up and looked at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Beatrix... she's gone," she told them. "A man in a black cloak... maybe he was a sorcerer, I don't know... but he came and made her think that he was someone she cared about very much..."

"Who?" Lulu asked.

"I'll explain that later." Quistis sucked in a deep breath. "But, he disappeared, and this portal appeared on the wall in the alleyway... and she went through, and it closed before I could follow her."

Lulu clasped her hands together. "I see..."

Auron sat up, and she didn't stop him this time. "Organization XIII," he muttered.

Both women stared at him.

And so, he explained who Organization XIII was, and what their purpose was.

"Elaeus... is alive, then?" Quistis asked, hopeful now that she had heard that people could live without hearts. It was a little morbid to think, but still.

"Elaeus?" Auron and Lulu asked simultaneously.

"I'll tell you a different day, Lu," she vowed.

"How do you know that he could be a Nobody?" Auron asked.

"Well... he and 5 others were apprentices of Ansem the Wise in a place called Radiant Garden. It isn't called that anymore... unless Leon's already restored it..." she paused, shuddering as the memories flowed back to her, fresh as when she first experienced them. "But, they were experimenting with the heart... and with Heartless, too, I think. He never told me the fine details. He and Dilan didn't want us involved if something went wrong... and one day, it did."

Lulu stepped towards her and laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to continue," she said.

"No, I think I should. It might be the only way to get Beatrix back," she said, her hand pushing the red-framed glasses up as she wiped at her eyes. "One day, there was an accident at the research facility. Elaeus, Dilan and the others had vanished."

"It seems very possible that your friend Elaeus could be an Organization member... if he was experimenting with Heartless, they could've taken his heart at anytime. Of course, it takes a very strong person to live without a heart," Auron told her.

Quistis nodded. "Elaeus was kind... soft-spoken, but strong and kind. You know how people describe some men as just really big teddy bears? That's exactly how Elaeus was," she said, then new waves of tears rolled down her face.

Lulu pulled her into a hug, and stroked her hair. "There, there... it's alright..." she soothed. She knew exactly what it was like to lose someone you loved very much.

It had happened to her thrice.

--

End.

Yay! Elaeus/Quistis and Dilan/Beatrix! More backstory will be revealed as the story continues. The idea for those pairings popped into my head randomly today. Now I don't feel so bad for bashing Xaldin and Lexaeus with my friends.

Anywho, leave a review, and I'll get started on the next chapter. I know that my chapters are short compared to most authors', but I post really quickly (because I have no life. xD).

Oh! Just to ask an opinoin, because this would make it reaaally angsty and slightly lame if I did this, but it might work: Should Beatrix and/or Quistis have a kid? I already have ideas about who their kids would be. I just don't want to add that if it's gonna be stupid.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Yes, there will be a different song in the beginning of each chapter. I'll try to take just one verse, but I thought most of this song fit the girls pretty well, so I took more than half of it. Sorry. It's also one of my very favorite songs._

_And yes, this is supposed to be Auron/Lulu, but I'm not feeling very Auron/Lulu-y right this moment, as I'm writing. Besiiiides, plot is good, too. Have some Quistis/Elaeus fluff and enjoy it._

_"I think we have an emergency._

_If you thought I'd leave, then you were wrong  
'Cause I won't stop holding on._

_So are you listening?  
So are you watching me?_

_And I can't pretend that I don't see this._

_It's really not your fault  
When no one cares to talk about it, to talk about it._

_'Cause I've seen love die way too many times,  
When it deserved to be alive.  
I've seen you cry way too many times.  
When you deserve to be alive._

_So you give up every chance you get just to feel new again._

_I think we have an emergency_

_And you do your best to show me love,  
but you don't know what love is."_

_Paramore: 'Emergency'_

_Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. A. Single. Thing. (Except for the plot. That's mine.) Quistis, Lulu, Beatrix, and every other Final Fantasy character belong to Square-Enix. All of the actual Kingdom Hearts (i.e. Elaeus and Dilan) characters belong to Square Enix + Disney. Disney characters belong to Disney._

_Warning: Random pairings that you may not like. Random backstory through Quistis's and Lulu's narrations that you may not like. Please don't leave me any reviews saying how I made characters and/or Final Fantasy events different, because if I did so, it was for a reason. You've been warned. Flames are used to roast marshmellows or attempt to revive Axel._

**Just Another Star  
by: Strike To Incinerate**

**Chapter Three  
**(Finished 05.15.07)

--

Quistis left the large bedroom, embarrassed to be crying in front of someone she didn't know well.

Lulu followed her. "Tell me today," she asked.

"Tell you what," Quistis replied bitterly, knowing well 'what' Lulu wanted to know.

"About Elaeus and Dilan..." she said softly, handing her friend a tissue. "How well do you know them? How long?" she inquired.

The strawberry blond sighed. "I may as well tell you... but, promise me that you'll tell me about your past afterward," she bargained.

Lulu nodded. "I will."

And Quistis began her story.

--

Beatrix and I grew up in a place called Radiant Garden. We didn't know how long we'd lived there, so we figured it was our entire lives. It was a beautiful world, one with trees, plains, flowers, and one small town. It was created by a man called Ansem the Wise. We loved Radiant Garden very much, more than anything else.

... Until we met Elaeus and Dilan.

They were a few years older than us, well-educated and studying under Ansem the Wise himself. We weren't stupid, either; we had completed the highest level of education available, but neither of us was interested in studying something mundane. Perhaps Ansem knew this, because he didn't offer to make us his apprentices like he did Braig, Dilan, Even, Elaeus, Ienzo and Xehanort. Instead, we looked after his daughter, a cute girl named Kairi, because Ansem had no wife. I was her tutor, and Beatrix was her governess and bodyguard.

That was how we met them.

I'm not sure exactly how Dilan and Beatrix fell in love; maybe some day, she'll tell you.

I can tell you how I fell in love with Elaeus, though.

I was done tutoring Kairi for the day, and Beatrix was kind enough to offer to watch her for a while, so I could have some time to myself. I was very grateful, and decided to explore the vast castle Ansem the Wise had created for both his experiments, and to live in.

I eventually found myself in a garden. At first glance, it appeared over grown; there were vines creeping up every stake, trellis and wall, endless amounts of plants all crammed side-by-side, flowers, fruits and trees, too many to count or name. Some, I didn't even recognize. Walking through it, I found no weeds, and everything was labeled and cared for.

I didn't see Elaeus at first. I thought I was alone in this garden. My fingers gently touched the soft petals of flowers. Some were pink, some were purple, some were tall, some were low to the ground, others grew on bushes, some on vines. Every color imaginable was present. Further along, I found some fruit. Most of the berries were red, but one type was deep purple, and the other was black. I wondered if the latter was poisonous, and curiousity got the better of me. I picked it, knicking my finger on a small thorn, and popped it into my mouth. It was good, but there were too many seeds.

"How's it taste?" a baritone voice asked from behind me.

I spun around quickly, frightened. The man was a giant, with a short mane of wiry brown hair, a square jaw, and an arm as thick as my waist. He had the softest periwinkle blue eyes, and when I saw his smile, I immediately calmed.

"Yes, it's delicious," I replied. "Sorry to intrude... I was just looking around..."

"It's alright," he said dismissively. "I wanted to test the blackberries anyways. I guess they came out alright."

I was relieved that he wasn't annoyed with me. He recognized me as Kairi's tutor, and we were friends from then on. I was a test subject for the fruit he was cultivating, and I never complained. He was an excellent botanist and gardener, and I got to taste fruits that many worlds had never seen. My favorites were the raspberries and pomegranate seeds, because they were so tart.

It was an unspoken agreement that we would meet in the garden every other day after our respective duties were done; his research for Ansem, and my tutoring for Kairi. We stuck to it.

The day I realized I was in love with Elaeus... we were testing strawberries. I never knew why they were called that; they were bright red, covered in seeds, and didn't resembles straws in the LEAST. Usually, I would just pick one and eat it, but today, he picked one and held it out to me. I leaned forward and took a bite.

After I had swallowed, he chuckled and pointed to the corner of his mouth. I gave him a funny look, and he said, "Come here." I leaned forward again, and he wiped the corner of my lip.

We stayed like that for what seemed like forever. My heart was beating so fast that it was even missing a few. His gaze locked on mine, until I scooted closer and pressed my mouth to his. He was so much bigger than I am, but I never felt scared in his arms; just loved and protected, and safe.

A month later, our meetings in the garden became less frequent, and I asked him why. He told me that Ienzo had convinced Ansem to continue with a new experiment, and it was very time-consuming. We didn't talk about work very much, so I never tried to get more information out of him.

Until our meetings had slowed to once every two weeks. I got angry that I saw so little of him.

He sighed and told me that Braig and Xehanort had brought in some Heartless. I told him not to play with fire, but he said they were being careful. I believed him, and made him promise to see me outside of the castle.

For the next month, he did. Whenever he could get away from the castle, we met, and dated like normal couples our age did. Once, we went on a double-date with Beatrix and Dilan.

And then he was gone. All 7 of them had disappeared into thin air, and Kairi had been sent away to a new world before Beatrix and I could stop them.

Of course, there was a funeral service, but without Ansem the Wise, Radiant Garden fell into disrepair. Without Dilan and Elaeus, Beatrix and I fell with it. The once beautiful world slowly descended into something like Traverse Town is now, but less organized. We hated being so empty and alone, even if we had each other. The Heartless attacked once, and we fought them off. Beatrix, unfortunately, lost her sight in one eye. We stayed in Ansem's castle, taught ourselves magic, and some alchemy.

Two years later, Leon arrived in Hollow Bastion, because our world was no longer worthy of the name, 'Radiant Garden'. Beatrix and I, and a few others, were the only people left there. We met Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, Cloud and Cid... they promised to return our once-beloved world to the way it was. They told us that they were from a place called 'Traverse Town', where there were many refugees from worlds destroyed by the Heartless. Aerith said that we could live in her, or Leon's, home while the repairs were being done. They even had a Gummi Ship to bring us there.

I convinced Beatrix that it would be good to get away from Hollow Bastion, and start fresh somewhere. A week later, she caved, and we came here.

You took us in, and helped us acclimatize to life in Traverse Town. We could sense something about you... like you were a kindred spirit. We talked about it one night, and decided that there was nothing left for us in Hollow Bastion, even if Leon restored it to Radiant Garden. We decided that Traverse Town was our home, and we would stay here, with you.

We never thought there was a chance that Elaeus and Dilan could be alive.

--

Lulu tapped her chin thoughtfully. "And, what about Reeve?" she asked.

"Beatrix didn't find out about him until after the funeral service. He didn't seem upset about leaving Hollow Bastion. If he had wanted to stay, I wouldn't've pushed," Quistis replied truthfully.

"Everything makes sense now," the black mage said simply.

Quistis nodded. "We didn't want to hide anything from you, but... you never asked, and Beatrix didn't feel the need to share."

"Don't apologize. We'll get her back," Lulu said with soft confidence.

"Aunty Lulu?"

Lulu's head whipped around to see a little boy. She knelt down to pick him up. He had long, black hair past his shoulders and bright blue-grey eyes.

"What is it, Reeve?" she asked the child.

The child looked up at her with unnaturally serious eyes. "Where's mama?" he asked.

"She's just out on an errand," Lulu replied flippantly.

The boy frowned at her. "That's NOT what aunty Quistis said."

Auron was quite surprised to realize that his toddler's mother must've been Beatrix.

'Must be,' he corrected himself. 'She's missing, not dead.'

Quistis flushed. "I only said that she was gone, I didn't say whe--" she began.

"You said a sorcerer took her. Mama says that there's no such thing. Where's mama?" the child said, looking from one 'aunt' to the other and back to the first.

"Aunty Quistis was _**joking**_," she told him, stressing the last word. "Your mother will be home soon."

The child smiled thinly, as if he didn't really believe her. "Okay," he said.

Quistis walked to him and lifted him from Lulu's arms. "Come on, your mother made dinner for you..." she said.

"Aunty, who IS that man?" he asked the blue mage.

"Just a friend."

"Like Squall?" he asked.

"He doesn't like it when you call him that..."

"Well, Mama says it's alright to call him that when he's not around," the child said smartly.

"Reeve..." she warned.

Auron looked to Lulu. "So... he's Beatrix's son," he said simply.

She nodded, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Yes."

He chuckled. "Cute kid."

She sighed. "He is. He's only two, but he's so smart... he knows we're lying."

Auron saw his sword propped against the wall. "I could help you find Beatrix," he said.

She shook her head. "We can't let you do that..." she began.

"Well, you can't really stop me..." He started for the blade.

"Sir Auron, you're in no condition to--"

He glanced at her. "What?"

Her mouth was shut tight, amethyst lips pursed together.

"How do you know me?" he asked, wondering if she could be the dark, feminine outline from his memory. Was that even possible, if it was a memory from a home world that was destroyed?

"What do you mean? We just met," she finally said with controlled nonchalance.

"Exactly. So, how do you know my name?"

She paused, then answered, "Lucky guess. You look like someone I used to know."

That reply didn't sit well with him, but he accepted it, ignoring the curiousity about the title that tugged at him.

"You, Quistis and I will search for Beatrix...?" he tentatively asked.

Lulu relented. "I suppose so. I'll get Zell to watch Reeve for us..." she said.

There was a flash of black, and Reeve was tugging at her skirt.

"Aunty Lulu, you aren't going to leave me, too, are you?" he asked, then held out his arms to be picked up.

"Just for a little while..." she said, picking him up and carrying him towards his room.

"Are you and aunty Quistis and mama going to be gone forever?" he continued, tears welling up in his eyes.

"What? No, Reeve! Just for a little while!" she insisted.

"How long?" the child sniffled.

"Not long. A few days, maybe. Zell and Kuja will take very good care of you," she promised.

He brightened a little. "Really? Can I have a lot of ice cream?" he asked.

"Only if they give it to you," she responded.

He seemed more content, but not entirely satisfied. "I don't want you and aunty Quistis to go. Why is that man taking you away?" he pointed to Auron, scowling.

Auron wasn't surprised that Reeve was blaming this on him. Children had never been fond of him. A picture on the wall suddenly seemed fascinating.

"It wasn't his fault," Lulu said, laying the boy down in his bed.

Reeve's scowl quickly turned to a pout. "Can I keep Stiltzkin while you're gone?" he asked.

She handed him the stuffed moogle. "Of course. Now..."

"Tell me the story of Lady Yuna!" the child whined as soon as she started to walk away.

She sighed, as if this were a terribly bothersome thing (which it wasn't). "Alright, Reeve. Will you go to sleep after that?" she asked, her cimson gaze suspicious as she turned it on him.

"I will!" he promised eagerly, hugging the moogle.

"Okay. Once upon a time, there was a land called Spira," Lulu began.

"Where Lady Yuna lived!" Reeve added.

"Yes, Lady Yuna lived there," Lulu agreed patiently. "Now, no more interruptions.

"Lady Yuna grew up in a village called Besaid with her two friends, Wakka and Kimahri, and her cousin Rikku. One day, a great monster rose up from the sea..."

"Sin," Reeve, who had obviously heard this story many times since moving to Traverse Town, mumbled with a shudder.

"Yes, it was named Sin, and it began attacking Spira. Lady Yuna was so kind-hearted that she convinced her friend to go with her to fight Sin.

"At first, the protested. Kimahri said that Sin was too big and too strong for the four of them to defeat.

"Rikku was uneasy about Yuna's idea--"

"LADY Yuna," Reeve corrected.

"She wasn't a lady yet," Lulu replied. "Where was I? Oh, Rikku didn't like the idea, and Wakka thought that Yuna was crazy, but Yuna assured them that the could find a way to save Spira.

"And so, they began to travel through Spira, looking for this way to save it. The people of Spira heard about their quest and gave Yuna their support. They believed in her so strongly that they began to call her Lady Yuna."

Auron found himsel drawn in by this bed-time story and stood beside the door frame, listening. Her words brought a feeling of nostalgia so strong that it could be mistaken for deja-vu...

or someone telling another about a memory.

"You know, aunty Lulu, I like this story better than the one that Leon and aunty Quistis told me when we still live in Hollow Bastion," he yawned.

She smiled. "Thank you. But, what did I say about interrupting?"

"Sorry," he mumbled sleepily.

"It's alright. During their travels, Lady Yuna met a man named Tidua. Tidus thought Lady Yuna was so strong and beautiful and caring that he fell in love with her immediately. Slowly, Yuna fell in love with him, too.

"But, they couldn't get married and live happily ever after like everyone else in fairy tales did. They still had to defeat Sin. One day, Lady Yuna discovered that the only way she could defeat Sin would be to summon a powerful creature called the Final Aeon.

"But, the Final Aeon would demand Yuna's life. Yuna would have to die to save Spira."

'That's odd,' Auron thought. 'I didn't think self-sacrifice was a common theme for a child's bedtime story.'

"Yuna decided that she loved Spira so much that she could easily gve her life so that the Final Aeon could kill Sin.

"Tidus knew there was no way to stop Yuna. It would be wrong to fault her for being so selfless, but he didn't want her to die. All too soon, the day of the Final Summoning came.

"Yuna summoned the Final Aeon, and it appeared in the form of a tall, elegant woman with long silver hair and bright blue eyes. Just as it was about to claim it's sacrifice, Tidua jumped in the way and refused to move.

"The Final Aeon was so touched by Tidus's love for Yuna that she let Yuna live and killed Sin regardless.

Now that Spira was at peace, Yuna and Tidus could have their happily ever after," she finished. "Goodnight, Reeve," she kissed the top of his head and started toward the door. He was already asleep.

--

**End. Finally. This took me forever to get done (I know, three days is so long. -.-) because I wrote the second part of the chapter (Lulu's bedtime story to Reeve, THE LONGEST PART) at school and typed it up when I got home. My shoulder kind of hurts now. Appearing next chapter: Zell, Kuja, Amarant and Seymour. Maybe some of the Turks. Because I said so. And because lame FF characters like Wakka and Vivi (who is cute, but still lame) and Rai (y'know?!) and dead characters (like Sephiroth and Aerith) got to be in KH but cool characters like Quistis, Zell, Reno and Vincent DIDN'T.**

**Ohhh... and before you scream at me about me ruining Beatrix by making her a teen mom: I didn't. Quistis is 23, Beatrix is 24, and Lulu is 21. Final Fantasy never gives their ages specifically (except for Quistis. I know she's only 19 in FFVIII, but... I aged her. Too bad!) I also don't know how old Xaldin and Lexaeus would be, so let's go with... 26 and 29. Just for fun. They ain't no spring chickin's.**

**Leave a review. Pleeeeeeease? I looooove reviews! They make my world go 'round! (Or, in this case, they make me want to update my stories.)**


End file.
